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<br />FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <br /> <br />From: Fern Gavelek Communications, (808) 329-0833 <br />Contact ferng@hawaii.rr.com for 2018 festival art and past event photos <br /> <br />Media Contact: Bert Mukai, Culture and Education Administrator, <br />Hawai‘i County Dept. of Parks and Recreation, (808) 961-8706 <br /> <br />WAIMEA CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL 2018 VENUES <br /> <br />WAIMEA, HAWAII ISLAND— The 25th annual Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival has <br />a full lineup of free, multi-cultural performing arts and hands-on demonstrations, plus over 150 <br />crafters and food booths 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3. <br /> <br />Festivities are at various venues sprawling through the town’s center—look for pink banners <br />identifying site locations. New to the festival is the Cherry Blossom Express—a Disney-themed <br />“train” for small children offering rides at Church Row Park by Clarence and Gloria Yee of <br />Hawi. <br /> <br />Parking is available at Parker Ranch Center, the soccer field across Church Row Park and <br />along Pukalani Street. Festival shuttles offer free transportation among most venues 8:30 <br />a.m.-3:30 p.m. by Roberts Hawaii, though walking is encouraged among venues. A map of the <br />shuttle route and festival venues is available in a detailed festival program available at each <br />venue location on February 3. <br /> <br />The festival marks the blooming of the historic cherry trees at Church Row Park and celebrates <br />the age-old Japanese tradition of hanami, which translates to “cherry blossom viewing”. After <br />a seasonal winter chill, the trees typically are blooming in early February. <br /> <br />The 2018 event artwork is “Celebrating the Bloom” by Waimea artist Anna Sullivan. Her original <br />mixed media wood piece will be for sale—and appears on a limited number of $10 collector <br />posters—at the Waimea Arts Council’s Firehouse Gallery. Sullivan will be present to sign <br />purchased posters during the festival. <br /> <br />Festival venues are as follows: <br /> <br />Church Row Park <br />• Historical Cherry Tree Display: Waimea Lions’ Club offers a pictorial history of the cherry <br />trees and serves as the festival’s official Lost and Found station. T-shirt sales. <br />• Entertainment: 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Hula, Japanese dance, koto music by Darin Miyashiro, <br />taiko drumming, lion dance. <br />• Bonsai: The Waimea Bon-yu Kai Bonsai Club offers a display and sale of bonsai, ongoing <br />demonstrations and a clinic to discuss and work on the art of bonsai. <br />• Cherry Blossom Express: Train ride for small keiki. <br />• Asian Collectibles/Food Sales at Kamuela Hongwanji: Browse Asian-themed collectibles, <br />cherry blossom crafts, plus Asian foods: Inari sushi, nishime bento, chichi mocha and andagi. <br />• Cooking Demos/Entertainment at Kamuela Hongwanji: 9 a.m.-noon, Kona-Kohala chefs <br />offer cooking demonstrations with free samples, lion dance. <br />• Origami instruction at Kamuela Hongwanji: Hands-on fun with Kikuko Kibe. <br /> <br />